Colin was friendly and offered computer help to anyone who needed it. He was always polite and courteous to all the other posters and he quickly became one of the group. We talked a lot in the forums, mostly about computers. I actually forget what it was that got us linked up on ICQ but we frequently would talk to each other as one or the other offered advice to a third person concerning their computer or how to navigate the internet.

A few of the other women told me he liked me. I was doubtful since I thought he treated everyone the same and saw nothing different in how he posted to me. However we did start talking more on ICQ and one day when I lost my server I telephoned him to let him know that I was not upset with something he had said but rather lost my server.

Slowly, well maybe not so slowly, we talked more and more, privately. People in the forums were convinced that I should be trying my best to attract his attention. A couple of wonderful net friends decided I needed a mate and Colin would make a great mate for me. I tried my best to convince them there were too many problems for me to even entertain the thought of developing a long-distance relationship over the internet. Believe me -- they were unrelenting in their insistance that Colin and I belonged together.

Now Colin and I were talking, a lot. And we were talking a lot more about things other than computers too. Over time we discussed all aspects of our lives and where we were in life. We began to rely on our late night phone calls and before long we had to face the reality of our developing feelings for each other.

I had been in a couple of long-distance relationships in the past and I did not want to do that again. But I was in Montreal and Colin was in Winnipeg (2400 KM) away.  Having given up the role of a shy person, I took the bull by the horns so to speak and shared my feelings with him concerning where we were going, our feelings and my desire to not do this long-distance thing.

If things were going to continue and we were going to pursue this friendship then we would have to meet. I had some serious thinking to do too. Quebec is not the easiest of places for an English speaking person to find work. That meant that if we were to pursue this I would be looking at a move because I could not ask him to come to Quebec.

I spent a lot of time thinking. I was way ahead of myself in thinking about a possible move but if we continued our friendship in the direction it was going there were logical conclusions. I suppose there might have been other options but I didn't want long-distance and having a net romance was not for me. Fortuanately Colin agreed and we decided to meet.

Well neither of us are ones to let too much grass grow under our feet. We set a tentative date for about 3 months away. But one day I got a call saying he was coming in a couple of weeks. WOW. I could hardly believe it.

We made certain agreements about what our expectations were. We knew we got along great on the phone but face to face was a totally different thing. We agreed to go very slow. This visit was to see if what we were feeling would transfer to the real world and we didn't need any more pressure on us. Which is why we did not tell some of our net friends who were still pushing me really hard to get to know Colin better. We both decided that we didn't need them looking over our shoulder and if it didn't work out we did not want people to think they had to take sides.

Deciding what to wear to meet Colin at the airport was crazy. I must have tried on everything twice. I finally decided super casual - jeans and a top. After all, if he liked me in my regular clothes then dress-up would be a cinch.

I remember standing at the gate waiting for a tall, white-haired man to come through the doors. A part of me wondered if maybe he would change his mind and not come. After all I was not much more than a lot of words on a screen and a disembodied voice on the phone.  I paced. I checked the monitor to see if his plane was late. I paced some more. I distracted myself by watching other people.

Finally his plane landed and I made my way back to the gate. Would he get off the plane? Would he really come all this way just to meet me?

Well, he got off that plane and walked straight towards me. Wow, a lot cuter than I expected even though I had a picture. Well, to welcome him I gave him a big hug and a kiss. I remember moving into his arms and feeling like it was the safest place on earth.

By this point the two of us were overwhelmed and pretty speechless. We stared at each other -- a lot and made our way out of the airport to a taxi. We sat holding hands and giggling like a couple of school-kids. We dropped his things off and went out for coffee to give ourseves time to get used to being together physically - a big change from our net or phone contacts.

We had an amazing week together, playing on our computers, telling our insistent friends, touring Montreal and going out to see the fireworks competition. We discovered that the feelings we had over the net and phone transferred well into real life. And we made plans for me to visit Winnipeg in the fall and if things were still going well I would consider moving in the spring (2000).

Watching him leave after our week together was so difficult. He called as soon as he got home to tell me how much he enjoyed the week and how much he missed me. He really had a tough time during his first week at home. And as soon as he got past the missing me I fell into missing him terrible. Phone calls just weren't enough but we had October to look forward to.

A couple of weeks later I was told that my new landlord was taking over the building and wanted my apartment. (In Montreal, a new owner had the legal right to evict a tenant if the owner wanted to use that apartment for a residence). It now looked like I would have to move in October, or before. But if I moved now I might also be looking at a second move to be with Colin in the near future.

After discussing the situation we diecided I would make a big move to Winnipeg immediately and we would see what would develop from our meeting. So I packed my belonging and 2 cats into a truck and headed west.

It has been great in Winnipeg and getting to know Colin better. We agreed at the beginning that we would not discuss marriage at all for at least a year. We didn't need more pressure to "make things work" We just needed time to see if this could work out.

Well Colin has been a dear. I fell in October 1999 and Colin was there to take care of me. I had surgery in July 2000 and again he was there. In good times and bad. He has done it all. And proven he is a wonderful partner.

Eventually I let him know that if he wanted the relationship to go to the next stage I would not say no. Next thing I knew we were off looking at engagement rings.

We picked one out and when we got it he sat me down and got down one one knee and proposed. I sat there with tears rolling down my face, unable to speak, searching for words that would not come. Poor Colin. There he knelt waiting for my answer.

Yes yes yes - a flood of words and love.